The Adventures of Jane (1949)

Released in 1949: Cartoon strip Jane comes to life as the real-life strip-tease model gets tangled with diamond smugglers.

Written by Alfred J. Goulding, Con West and Edward G. Whiting about a character created by Norman Pett

The Actors: Chrystabel Leighton-Porter (Jane), Michael Hogarth (Tom Whiting), Ian Colin (Captain 'Cap' Cleaver), Sonya O'Shea (Ruby), Edward Stanelli (Edward Stanelli, hotel manager and himself, orchestra leader for the sound track), Sebastian Cabot (French traveling man), Wally Patch (customs official), Peter Butterworth (drunk), Sidney Benson (Mr. Snade), Charles Irwin (henchman Lew), George Crawford (henchman Freddie), Joan Grindley (maid), Norman Pett (himself, cartoonist who created Jane), Arthur Leighton-Porter (Chrystabel's husband, unknown bit part)

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History, Burlesque and Jane

Today you have a choice . . . You can watch a bit of British history from the 1940’s . . . Or you can watch a diamond smuggling crime adventure . . . Or you can watch a slapstick burlesque comedy with one of England’s most famous strip-tease burlesque girls . . . . Or you can watch a movie about one of the British Daily Mirror newspaper comic strips, The Adventures of Jane . . . . Or you can watch it all in one fascinating movie! In 1932 artist Norman Pett got a job drawing an adult cartoon for the Daily Mirror. He created Jane of the Daily Mirror. When World War II began he needed a new model for his cartoon character and he selected Chrystabel Jane Drewry, who was a nude artist’s model in London. When her cartoon character appeared nude during World War II it supposedly inspired the 36th Division to attack and move solidly 6 miles into Burma. Sir Winston Churchill called Jane “Britain’s Secret Weapon” as Jane toured military bases with her strip-tease burlesque act. Jane always claimed to be single and during the war and she got hundreds of fan letters from soldiers proposing marriage, but she had secretly already married a Royal Air Force pilot Arthur Leighton-Porter, who appears in this movie as an extra. You will also see the cartoonist himself at the beginning as he draws Jane for the newspaper comic strip. That’s the history behind the movie. You might notice that the story plot is quite simple . . . . You might notice that the budget for the movie seems to be about than the price of a good dinner for the family at a fine restaurant. . . . . You might notice that the burlesque style slapstick humor is very juvenile. . . . But you’ll probably laugh anyway . . . . You might notice many things that would convince you to stop the show and find a good book instead. . . . But you probably will not stop the show. . . . You will likely watch to the ‘end’. . . . Because you just love true history. . . . And because of Jane. . . . Britain’s Secret Weapon. . . . Pop a big bowl of white kernel popcorn with plenty of warm melted butter drizzled over it and enjoy the show.

Poster for an appearance of Jane	Beauty contest girls, with Sonya O'Shea in the middle
Chrystabel Leighton-Porter with Edward Stanelli and his orchestra	Chrystabel Leighton-Porter
Chrystabel Leighton-Porter and Ian Colin	Chrystabel Leighton-Porter and Ian Colin
	Chrystabel Leighton-Porter and Michael Hogarth
Chrystabel Leighton-Porter	Edward Stanelli
Edward Stanelli	Ian Colin
Ian Colin and Charles Irwin	Ian Colin and Edward Stanelli
Ian Colin, Sonya O'Shea and Crystabel Leighton-Porter	Ian Colin and Sonya O'Shea
Ian Colin
Jane loses her skirt at the train	Joan Grindley
Michael Hogarth and Chrystabel Leighton-Porter	Anne Gwynne
Michael Hogarth and Joan Grindley	Michael Hogarth and Sonya O'Shea
	Michael Hogarth
Norman Pett	Peter Butterworth
Sebastian Cabot	Sebastian Cabot
Sidney Benson	Sidney Benson
Sonya O'Shea	Sonya O'Shea and Chrystable Leighton-Porter
Sonia O'Shea and Michael Hogarth
Sonya O'Shea	Sonya O'Shea
Wally Patch	Wally Patch